The Housing Corporation is pleased to launch The Cambridge Challenge, a pilot programme trialling a different way of managing large strategic sites which have national and regional significance. Sponsored by the Corporation’s East of England Region, the Pilot will pre-select a strategic development partner to deliver affordable housing on three strategic sites in Cambridge - Northstowe, Southern Fringe and North West Cambridge in advance of specific site details. The successful partner will be chosen in advance of the 2008-10 bid round and be given a five-year grant funding commitment.

This commitment to longer-term grant funding for an affordable housing programme over a number of specified sites marks a departure from investment practice that has gone before. This new approach should maximise the impact of Government funding programmes by securing an affordable housing development partner from site inception to completion, improving the efficiency of housing investment, and enhancing the delivery of affordable homes in a Government priority area. We expect any successful bid to demonstrate innovation and the commitment to developing community capacity. We also expect bids to better the current level of intervention.

We are interested in innovative proposals but will require evidence of capacity to deliver high quality, cost effective and sustainable new communities. The pilot is open to all organisations who have passed the Pre-Qualification Stage of the Housing Corporation's 2006-08 Bid Round. Full details of the pilot, its objectives and selection process and criteria are contained in the Cambridge Challenge Prospectus and Pre-Qualification Questionnaire and appendix.

The closing date for submission of bids is 12 noon on Thursday 15 February 2007. In the meantime if you have any queries regarding the Cambridge Challenge, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the project team, details of which are contained in the prospectus.